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We’re always looking forward to our next vacation; whether it’s taking a break from school work, relaxing during the summer by the poolside, or a random family vacation to the mountains, escaping from real life, we’re always waiting for the next opportunity to shut our brains off.

Vacations are an essential part of staying sane– it gives us the chance to escape the mundane routine of daily life, all while making memories that last a lifetime. We always brag to our friends about our excursions, such as swimming with the dolphins or a 6-mile long hike, but we never include the process of getting there, which in my opinion, is the best part.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Road trips were a huge part of my childhood. Growing up with five siblings, it was always a pain to purchase plane tickets for the entire family, so we drove. We would wake up before the sun rose, carry our bags and blankets out to the car and step up camp for our journey. Cramming eight people’s bags and bodies into the car was comparable to an extreme game of Tetris, but somehow, we always made it work.

Based on experience, there are three necessities for the perfect road trip.

NECCESSITIES

Snacks… and a lot of them. The day before your drive, take a family vacation to the grocery store; everyone should pick out their favorite snack, agreeing to only eat their choice, unless a sharing agreement can be reached. My personal favorites are beef jerky, almonds and strawberry Gatorade (trust me).

The next key to an effortless expedition is an engaging playlist. Inevitably, everyone is going to get tired of talking to each other; that’s where music comes in. If you want to spend the time making a road trip playlist beforehand, go for it. However, there are some great driving playlists on Spotify.

Last but not least: games. My family would spend most of our trip playing games, and although they might seem silly, they really help time pass faster. “I spy…” is a classic, along with “21 questions.” My personal favorite is the license plate game, which will occupies passengers with searching for the most interesting license plate.

Road trips truly prove that life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey. Next time you have to drive somewhere instead of flying, don’t think of it as a burden– think of it as an excursion in itself.

I used to think I was just a perfectionist; each situation had to be planned out to the last detail, homework and projects had to be done flawlessly, and conversations had to flow exactly the way I imagined they would in my head. I fooled myself into thinking I was simply trying to take control of my life, but in all actuality, my anxiety was controlling me.

In the past, I constantly worried about every little thing. In fact, I was more anxious than I had ever been after realizing just how bad my anxiety was. While my mindset is much better now, I still have my bad days, just like everyone else.

Doubt, fear

Anxiety is a dark cloud that looms over all of us. When someone glances at us for a second too long, we automatically resort to worrying about our appearance. We constantly panic about our future, relationships and education. The main thing to realize is that although we all may suffer with anxiety from time to time, our worries don’t define us. At all.

Based on a study from National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement, data discovered that young women are more likely to suffer from anxiety than young men; while only 26 percent of males had displayed an anxiety disorder, 38 percent of women were affected.

Under these unfortunate circumstances, it’s crucial to remember that everyone feels this way at some point in their lives. Since anxiety is so common, it’s easy to find someone to relate to and communicate with.

From personal experience, I’ve found the quickest remedy to anxiety is releasing those negative emotions. Whether you’re more into individual expression, such as journaling or artistic outlets, or collective communication, such as confiding in a close friend, speaking your worries into existence can help to rationalize and comfort. Many people might even have advice or comforting words from dealing with their own anxiety experiences.

FOMO is Fatal

Honestly, you’ve probably been feeling this in some way or another your whole life, you just haven’t known what to call it.

FOMO, or the “Fear of Missing Out,” is yet another problem that social media has exemplified, taking off the most recently.

But what is FOMO?

For me, FOMO is seeing Snapchats of my best friends at the premiere of a movie I wanted to see but had to pass on due to the looming fear of an upcoming test. As well as scrolling through Instagram. Jealousy skyrockets at the sight of people zip lining in Costa Rica or riding camels through the sands of Morocco.

The ability to view other’s high points in life provides no opportunity for us to be genuinely happy for them. In fact, it has increased the amount of time we waste, remaining stagnant in a constant state of comparison.

What we don’t see is the process. We see an aesthetically pleasing filter, a dazzling smile, and breathtaking surroundings. So why do we long to be somewhere we know absolutely nothing about?

Truth is, we don’t.

Seeing someone else in an ideal situation makes us feel like we should be doing more, traveling more, going out more, and hanging out with friends more.

We’re not focused on experiencing these things for ourselves.

We’re focused on notexperiencing these things for ourselves. It’s not about what we’re gaining, but more about what we’re losing.

So next time you’re experiencing FOMO, ask yourself– what will I really benefit from this? Will it make me smarter or happier? And will this have any significance on me in the long run? Do I actually want to do these things, or does it just look better than whatever I’m doing at the moment?

FOMO is psychological torture.

Learn to be comfortable with yourself, comforted by the idea that you’re on the correct path, making the correct decisions. If you know your priorities, you’ll know how to get there– not even FOMO will be able to blind you.

This is the day and age of YouTube. Whether it’s watching makeup tutorials, workout videos or day-in-the-life vlogs, we’re strangely obsessed with other people videotaping their lives. When you think about it in that sense, it’s extremely odd– but it’s something we all do.

For this reason, some of the most popular YouTubers run healthy lifestyle channels. We love keeping up with others who seemingly have their lives together; if they can do it, so can we, and their videos give us insight on how to do so. Also, watching conspiracy theory videos all day can get a little creepy. So without further ado, here are my three current favorite health and wellness YouTubers.

Blogilates is the sole reason I began working out. Her videos are always entertaining and easy to follow along, and to make it better, she has one of the most contagiously bubbly personalities I’ve ever seen. It’s hard not to be happy when you’re watching her. Beginning with only pilates videos, Cassey has made every type of workout video possible through the years, from cardio dance to yoga.

By subscribing to Cassey’s channel, I’ve had the opportunity to watch myself grow into a better person, as well as watching her grow. Although you’ll only spend roughly 15 minutes with her at a time, you’ll feel as if you’ve gained a friend.

Sarah’s Day is easily my favorite YouTuber; I feel as if I’ve been involved in her life for years now. Her channel perfectly combines relationship advice, workout videos, healthy recipes and vlogging, creating a bond with her viewers that makes it impossible not to fall in love with her personality. Sarah doesn’t pretend to be perfect– she’s always brutally honest about every aspect of her life, which has recently included her pregnancy.

While she only started her account to document her struggles with hormonal acne, Sarah’s Day has developed such a strong fan base that has expanded into a blog, an activewear line, her own fruit and nut mix and line of sunglasses.

Like Sarah’s Day, Nikki Blackketter is known for keeping it real on her channel. Although she is a Gymshark Activewear model and shares workout videos, her YouTube is full of day-in-the-life vlogs, travel videos and chats about her emotions; in fact, one of the most watching videos on her channel is about one of her breakups.

Nikki may be a model, but she never pretends that she’s perfect or has it all together, which is what I love about her. She’s relatable and proves that YouTubers, no matter how glorified they may be, are real people, just like us.

Awesome Scholarships for College

Don’t let student debt deter your dreams.

College is simultaneously scary and exciting. Since college is the first step towards adulthood, it is also the first step towards responsibility. The decisions made after turning 18 may heavily influence your entire future.

Although college is accompanied by loads of stress, it is an amazing opportunity. College prepares us for the future and teaches us accountability – a vital skill that high school does not.

Seems great, right?

Well, one downfall is the cost. Due to the dollar signs, many of those who are financially unstable believe that college is not an option.

However, this is not true.

Scholarships are a life-saver. In fact, they’re a key component in my college career. Listed below are a few scholarships that will help you headstart paying for college.

Specific Field Scholarships

Southern Automotive Women’s Forum

This scholarship is catered towards women pursuing a STEM-related field. Applicants must be a female high school senior or graduate who is enrolled or plans to enroll in a Southeastern college. States include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The minimum GPA for this scholarship is 2.5.

Need-based Scholarships

Kids Chance Scholarship

Applicants are required to be a student and legal resident of Alabama. To qualify, one or both parents must have been permanently disabled or killed in a workplace accident. Students can apply for this scholarship each year they are enrolled in a university.

General Scholarships

“Countdown to College” Scholarship

This scholarship has one requirement. Applicants must be an Alabama High School student with a subscription to the “Countdown to College” free weekly eNewsletter. Once registered, you will be automatically submitted.

MKH Lawyers Driver Safety Scholarship

In addition to being an Alabama High School senior, applicants must submit an original essay detailing the dangers of texting and driving. Along with methods on how to spread awareness of these dangers. Throughout the essay, applicants must discuss public awareness strategies and practical ways to reduce automobile accidents.

Paradigm Challenge

For this scholarship, you must create an original, creative solution for common problems that affect students. Submissions must be presented in the form of posters, videos, events, websites or applications. Altogether, your strategy must be made clear in order to qualify. Applicants may work with a team if they wish.

Heritage Scholarships

KASF (Korean-American Scholarship Foundation) – Southern Region

This scholarship is open to applicants who plan to be a full-time student in one of the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina or Tennessee. In addition, a minimum of a 3.0 GPA and a need for financial aid is required.

Wake up and turn alarm off. Roll over in bed. Grab phone and check Instagram. After scrolling through recent pictures, check Twitter. Becoming bored with the timeline, check Facebook. Finally, and only when everything has been seen, get up and get ready for the day.

This is my typical morning routine, and if I had to guess, many others spend their mornings in a similar way. If nobody had fallen into these bad habits, we would have a lot of extra time in the morning: time to eat a good breakfast, work out and organize the day, all if we didn’t waste it on social media.

If cutting social media out of mornings could drastically alter them, how else could daily life be affected?

Would we stroll down the street, actually noticing the people and our surroundings? Would we devote our full attention in class, not constantly worrying about the text messages and notifications we’re missing? Would we make better, unforgettable memories, being entirely present in every moment?

It’s easy to become wrapped up in a funny tweet, aesthetically pleasing Instagram picture or entertaining Facebook video, but how often do we take a step back and realize what we’re actually missing? Would our lives feel more complete by cutting social media out?

There was a time where people didn’t have to worry about constantly refreshing their applications, and as our parents and grandparents say, it was a much simpler time. We’re too stuck in our ways to reverse them now, but surely there’s a way to climb out of the social media hole that we’ve dug ourselves in.

I believe the main problem is treating our smartphones and other gadgets as a priority; we prioritize this technology over others and even ourselves, choosing to indulge in social media rather than activities that could advance our education, health or social lives.

If we could divert our focus away from our phones and social media for a small amount each day, it’ll start to add up, resulting in better relationships and a fuller life– the type of life our parents said they grew up in, without phones.

In our heads, we think of this glorious, week-long break from school as a time to relax and recuperate from the trials and tribulations of spring semester. But in all actuality, is it really as revitalizing as we make it out to be?

Spring break falls into two categories: making memories with friends or spending quality time with your parents. Although both have their pros and cons, spring break is never actually as relaxing as we make it out to be.

I spent this past week in Arizona with my parents. After long days packed with hiking at the Grand Canyon, searching for wild horses and watching baseball in the desert heat, I’m finally back home– and let me be honest, I’m more tired than I was before the vacation.

On the other hand, a group of my closest friends spent their spring break in California. Even though laying at the beach, sightseeing around Beverly Hills and chatting around a bonfire doesn’t seem to strenuous, they’re ready to return to everyday life, as well.

So if spring break is going to inevitably end up in exhaustion, how do you make a decision on what you’re going to do?

In my opinion, spending vacation with your parents is always the way to go. Yeah, you’ll miss your friends (and probably encounter quite a bit of FOMO), but after a short week, you’ll be back together again.

Spring break-ing with parents is much more smooth– the group is more organized and overall does more activities (and hey, not paying for everything with your own money is a perk). You don’t have to worry about travel or living situations, and they’re you’re family, so you know you’ll get along. Sometimes.

Experiencing new things with friends is always a good time, but truthfully, spending too much time with them could produce some difficulties.

I missed my friends this past week, without a doubt. But there’s nowhere else I would’ve rather been than with my family. Plus, family vacations aren’t forever– milk it while you still can!

If you’re debating on whether to spend spring break with friends or family, follow the number one rule: family comes first. Besides the perpetual state of tiredness after it’s over, a great time is guaranteed.